Mental Health Challenges
Navigating the challenges of mental health and chronic illness can have a profound and often devastating impact on one’s overall well-being. As someone who has been struggling with multiple mental health issues since their early teens, my relationship with self care has been a complex and ongoing journey. This path has not been linear; rather, it has been marked by numerous ups and downs, twists and turns that reflect the tumultuous nature of mental health struggles.
There was a significant period in my life when my coping mechanisms were not only ineffective but actually detrimental to my health. I was self harming almost daily in a number of horrible ways to gain some sense of release. My severe anorexia nervosa was slowly consuming me from the inside out. I found myself entrenched in unhealthy habits that provided only temporary relief, leading to even greater emotional distress.
Toxic Coping Mechanisms
During this time, I refused the valuable advice of my first therapist. I can vividly recall how I resisted her suggestions, clinging instead to my old ways of coping. The stubborn teenager I was at the time dismissed the potential benefits of healthier strategies. Too set in my ways and unwilling to take the necessary measures to help myself. I was so entrenched in my discomfort and unwillingness to adapt that I refused to recognize the healing power of self care techniques.
Reflecting on this, I realize how crucial it is to be open to new approaches and to remember that healing is a continuous process. Over time, I began to understand the importance of letting go of those toxic “coping strategies” and embracing healthier, healing options. My life could’ve been very different had I actually used the coping mechanisms I was taught.
Finally Using Coping Skills
One strategy I did finally start using at a later time was a coping skills box. While I was in an intensive outpatient center for my depression and PTSD, we did a lot of art projects that doubled as coping skills. One of the days, our project was making coping skills boxes. Each box is personalized to fit individual needs before and during difficult times. We included items like written out meditations and affirmations, stress toys, and pictures of loved ones with notes and their numbers in case of an emergency.
To this day, I still have my first coping skills box. This ongoing commitment to self care has become an essential part of my life, transforming my mental health journey into one that is more hopeful and empowering. I decided I wanted to create something similar to this that has a variety of items one might need for self care or to use as a coping skill. Thus- the Self Care Kit was born!
Creating the Self Care Kit
In creating my Self Care Kits for Self Help Happy Shop, my goal is to share amazing skill I learned and help others. With each Self Care Kit, I am able to provide a variety of items to empower, soothe, and encourage wellness. I focus on incorporating practices that promote emotional resilience, promote self-compassion, and improve mental clarity.
Creating these kits has provided a sense of healing from my past in recognizing the importance of self care. Its also giving me a way to forgive myself for not using coping skills properly in my past. I am proud of myself for being able to get to this point and that I’m able to help others with the skills I’ve learned. I’ve already sold quite a few Self Care Kits and we have even more kits coming soon! Combine multiple kits to create your perfect self care routine. What would you put in your Self Care Kit?